‘At £75million, Van Dijk is starting to feel like a snip. He has made the difference, an authority in the centre of a Liverpool defence that has conceded just eight times in the league.’

He certainly has. Which makes it all the funnier that you said Liverpool ‘blew their brains out to sign the Dutchman’ just over a year ago.

‘He is not even the best defender in the Premier League,’ Ashton added in an article written on December 28, 2017. ‘Toby Alderweireld, in the middle of messy contract negotiations at Spurs, will be the biggest beneficiary of this mind-boggling move.’

And Ashton was also at pains to point out that City had rejected Van Dijk.

‘They already have an injury-prone central defender, with Vincent Kompany out again.

‘City, with money to spend to strengthen the squad in January, do not need another crock.

‘Van Dijk, who has struggled for fitness and form during the past year, was not considered good value at £75m.’

At least Van Dijk ‘is starting to feel like a snip’ now; a long time has passed since Liverpool ‘blew their brains out’ to sign ‘another crock’.

Sutton and sweep‘How do you call this one? Liverpool could wallop City and we wouldn’t be surprised. City could win by four or five and we wouldn’t be surprised either!’ – Chris Sutton, Daily Mail.

Liverpool have been beaten by ‘four or five’ goals once since the start of the 2015/16 season. We would probably all be a little surprised if it happened here.

Reade all about itThere are plenty who sensibly suggest the title will not be won or lost on Thursday evening. Brian Reade of the Daily Mirror counts himself among that group.

‘English top-flight titles are never won when the Christmas decorations are still up,’ he writes.

Mind you, Reade also said that City had managed to ‘make a mockery of “the most competitive league in the world” cliché’ in December 2017. They were 15 points ahead after 20 games then; the Christmas decorations were certainly still up, and the league was certainly pretty much won.

Luk who’s talking‘Romelu Lukaku took just 38 seconds to show he is finally free of Jose Mourinho’s shackles’ – David Coverdale, The Sun.